Railway-crossing signal



Oct. 29, 19,29. w. A. BLANKENSHIP RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL Fired June 8, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventar mL/Klan ltehlzsajv M A dal@ By man OGL 29, 1929. w. A. BLANKENSHIP RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL Filed June 8. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Oct. 29,k 1929 UNITED STATES WILLIAM' A. BLANxnNsHIP, or 'raYI-.-oasnritmi,y NORTH noilrnh Application led Tune 8,`

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway crossing signals and aims to provide a simply constructed and positively operable mechanism for association with a railway adjacent a road crossing and adapted to be operated by the movement ofthe train upon the railway toward the crossw ing to operate a visible signal whereby motorists or pedestrians will be notified that a train is approaching the crossing, this structure doing away with the usual presence of a signal man or an electrically operated alarm device now usually employed.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters yindicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentaryplan view of a trackway at a road crossing, said trackway being equipped` with my improved signal device. f

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a detail transverse section taken through the mechanism operable by a member associated with the cow catcher or other convenient point in the forward end of the locomotive so as to cause the operation of the device when the locomotive approaches the crossing.

Figure 4 is a ksection through one of the track rails adjacent the road crossing looking toward the signal unit per se, and

Figures 5yand 6 are detail perspectives of certain elements of the device. f

Now having particular reference to the drawings, A ydesignates fragmentarily a trackway, and B the highway crossing.

In carrying out the present invention there is arranged upon one ofthe railfties at the outer side of one of rtherails and at a point remote from the highway crossing B a bracket 5 including a pair of upstanding arms 6 6 at the opposite ends thereof.` Journaled through registering openings in the arms of this bracket is a shaft 7 while keyed to the outer end thereof is a depending lever 8. Keyed to the shaft 7 between the arms 6*-6 of said bracket is ka collar 9,' the inner face of which is formed'with a cam surface, the high and low points thereof merging into a ma ganara naar;

`simuleren 10; apen said Shafer istria' meer? circular ena 111 ofair epasa-nung armi 152; the face or thellvverf @nu drs'aidf amr ad@ jacent-uae @am S'urfacefof'the col-1a# 91 being, alsoA formed with a cam surface, theh'i'gh" nu? low'pointsocff whicir merge into shoulder 13;A Between thelw @nager-thisiswi- 12 and the adjacent arm 6 of the bracket? 5f is @er expaneibm @env spring 141 for drmallly maintaiingfrne lewe-r' eau Of'the'ariaf in' en ab" gegeten faniela-fiamma@ cenar-9a New many the Siiouldr 1a5 has f engagement with- @hef slimmer l'of off the cellar so that" when the an@ 1'2-1 isi swng forwaraly reward the" rafdwy'n as disel'ojs'eu by* are dbaea lines inf Figurelesaidsliaru 7 will-refereforswing ingthe lever '8 in a-@fearwardidirectionasfalso' diselosed by# ui'ef db'aeul lines in* Figur 2.l r This mais is swung' in' the direction-1 juge mentions@ tliughthe' meditar of mi dut; wardlyexteuaiiighorizbnmi Bar er othersimnia# membefiaanengedupsfr thecow catcherdrjamny other suitable peint at uit' fr1- werdenden ldemtiveassuggestedBy the deaed laesiny Figurse' anus: *f

Amigedfpomhedaterend of meermatie'sf adljacnttlie r'oa'dt crossing* Bvl and at'1 the-sani@ side @fthe trackwayas the @they f mechanism 'j iist described3 is a" suitable: brackf eti1v6j through wlficlr is"Y iouriiz'iliedY a" sliafjt` 17, veline ass'ciared with-:theorieen and offthis shaft is a ri ht ang-ularly extending" sema-4 purefaga 1J upe'n theuterfend ofE which is f a suitable platelQ Keyed'to the inner end of this shaft 17 is an arm20 extending in the same direction as the semaphore arm 18. Interconnecting the lever 8 of the shaft 7 and the semaphore arm 18 is a tie rodl or cable 21. The arm 12is normally maintained in the vertical position illustrated in Figure 2 byv retractiley coil springs 22 arranged at theirv opposite` ends with the said arm 12 and the f adjacent ties in the trackway as in Figures 1 and`2. n Obviously the normal position of the semaphore rarm 18 is ydownwardly alongside the adjacent rail of the trackway as in said Figures 1 and 2. When a trainapproaches, the arm 15 upon the front end of the locomotive will strikethe arm 12'forcing` the same for-y 100 "itr wardly in the position disclosed by the' dotted line in Figure 2, this will cause a pull upon the tie rod or cable l2 for obviously raising the semaphore arm 18 to the dotted 5 line position in Figure 2.

As soon as the train reaches the upstanding member Q0 said, arm 15 will strike thereagainstas illustrated in Figure 4 tor returning the semaphore to its downwardly swung inoperative position. Y K A y It will thus be seen thatl have-provided i a highly novel, simple and positively operat- Ving signal for railroad crossings,even though e I have herein shown and described the in- Vention as consistingof'certain'V detail structural elements it is nevertheless to .beunder- 'r stood that some changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit ofthe invention and the scope of the appended de-im. f Y t a VHaving thus described the invention, what I Vclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a railroad crossing signal of the character described, a semaphore arm pivoted Vat one rsideof the trackwayY adjacent the roadway, a shaft mounted for rotation at the sameside of theltrackway remote from said roadway, a vertically extending' armloosely associated withsaid shaft, complemental construction between the shaft and; said'arm to cause the rocking of the shaftwhen the arm is moved downwardly toward the roadway, means for normally maintaining the arm; inV vertical position so as to be engaged by means associated with a Ytrain passing over the traclrway, means interconnecting said shaft and said semaphore arm whereby to cause the raising of the semaphore arm whensaid 40 shaft is rocked by the swinging :ofits associated Yarm, vand means associatedy with the semaphore arm and adapted to extend. upwardly when said semaphore Varm is raised to be engaged 4by the means associated with said train whereby to cause the downward movement of the semaphore arm as the train approaches the `crossing. V Y 1 V In 4testimony whereofl atliX my signature.

VILLIA-M A, BLANKENSHIP."

i Y, 1 V y j 

